Run-on sentences are sentences that contain too many ideas without proper punctuation. Not all long sentences are run-on sentences. It is perfectly acceptable to join several related ideas in one compound sentence. However, if you don't follow punctuation rules, a sentence can become a run-on. A simple explanation of run-ons and some examples of run-on sentences should help to make this point clear.

Components of a Sentence

Each sentence has three necessary components:

Subject: What is this sentence about? The subject is usually, but not always, a noun or a pronoun.

Action: What is the subject of the sentence doing? The action is always a verb.

Complete thought: What is the purpose of this sentence?

For example, lets look at the sentence "Jim is cold." This sentence:

has a subject: "Jim."

has an action: "is" which is a form of the "to be" verb. Jim is doing the action of "being cold."

expresses a complete thought - the purpose of this sentence is to tell the reader that Jim is cold.

Sentences which have these three components are called independent clauses. Independent clauses can stand on their own - they form their own sentences.

If a sentence is lacking in one of the three components, it is called a dependent clause. Dependent clauses can't stand alone - they need to be joined to another clause.

Defining a Run-on Sentence

A run-on sentence is a sentence that has two or more clauses which are improperly joined. Independent and dependent clauses can be joined together to create compound sentences when writing.

However, there are rules that have to be followed when creating compound sentences, in order to avoid creating a run-on sentence:

Two related independent clauses can be joined using a semicolon.

Related independent clauses are clauses that could stand on their own, but that are related to each other. For example: "Jim is cold; he wants to go inside." Each of the two clauses in this sentence are independent clauses - they could stand by themselves. They are related, so they are joined together by a semicolon.

An independent clause can be joined to another independent clause using a coordinating conjunction

An independent clause can be made dependent on another clause, by using a coordinating conjunction. For example: "Jim is cold but he wants to say outside." The second clause "He wants to stay outside." could be an independent clause. However, the coordinating conjunction "but" makes it dependent on the first clause. With the "but" at the beginning, the sentence could no longer stand on its own. It is dependent on the first clause.

Examples of Run-on Sentences

The following three examples of run-on sentences demonstrate problems that occur when compound sentences are formed without proper punctuation:

Kelly likes to cook, she makes chicken every day.

"Kelly likes to cook" is an independent clause that could stand by itself. "She makes chicken every day" is an independent clause that could stand by itself. These two sentences cannot be joined by a comma. The improper use of a comma here is called a comma splice.

The sentence could be corrected by using a semicolon in place of the comma. It could also be corrected if a conjunction was used: "Kelly likes to cook, and she makes chicken every day."

Mary likes dogs she has a beagle.

"Mary has dogs" is an independent clause that could stand by itself. "She has a beagle" is an independent clause that could stand by itself. As written, the sentence is a run-on sentence since it contains two separate ideas.

These two clauses must have punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Ann likes to read; she reads lots of books; she goes to the library three times a week.

While semicolons can be used to link independent thoughts, they can only be used to link two independent thoughts. You can't use two semicolons to link three independent thoughts.

One of these thoughts needs to be a separate sentence, or a conjunction needs to be used. For example, it would be acceptable to say "Ann likes to read; she reads lots of books and goes to the library three times a week."

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Run-on Sentences

By YourDictionary

Run-on sentences are sentences that contain too many ideas without proper punctuation. Not all long sentences are run-on sentences. It is perfectly acceptable to join several related ideas in one compound sentence. However, if you don't follow punctuation rules, a sentence can become a run-on. A simple explanation of run-ons and some examples of run-on sentences should help to make this point clear.